The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-09-21
Bacon versus Shakespeare.

theory proves at least one thing in a
very decided manner. This is the utter
weakness of the effort. The previous
attacks on Shakespeare's claims had
been so utterly forgotten that this re-
vival is almost novelty. 1t may, how
ever, be revived annually till the end
of the world without really impairing
the authenticity of Shakespeare. One
very strong point Gas it is claimed)
against the latter is the impossibility of
an illiterate youth from an obscure vii
| lage attaining such wide range of
knowledge. But to this it may be re-
piled that genius is beyond all rule or
limitation. Perhaps the time will come
when it will be matter of doubt that
another Englishman equally illterate,
and also reared in an obscure hamlet
and bred to a mechanical trade, should
suddenly develop into a wonderful
orator-that year after year he should
attract and fascinate vast audiences,
eclipsing all rivalry, and while deficient
in education his diction should be ele-
CANT, his grammar correct and his ut
terances so far beyond the power of
raised against it. Yes, reader, this
may OCl DC d lndllCl VI uOuDt, DuJ dJ
present | find in Cough one of the most
convincing arguments to prove that
genius is so superior to all limitation
that even the Stratford hoodlum might
become the author of all that is ascribed
to Shakespeare. If it be impossible for
the iliterate Shakespeare to have writ
ten the plays because of the learning
displayed, then, on the other hand, it
seems impossible that man of elab-
crate education like Bacon should have
been their author because of the igno-
rance displayed. For instance, think of
Lord Bacon, when writing Romeo
and Juliet" introducing the curfew.
Yet it occurs in act fourth, scene fourth:
"G9me stir STIR st1 The second cock hath cTowed
Here we find the learned Lord Bacon
Italy, but changing its character by
making it morning instead of an
evening bell. Reader, can you believe
that man of learning and an astute
lawyer could be guilty of such blum
der? Still less could this be done by
the author of Bacon's prim and precise
essays, in which every word is so care
fully weighed. On the other hand, the
accepted author (Shakespeare) assumes
that genius has the right to deal with
such matters without rule or sense of
propriety, as he says in " Pericles,
Prince of Tyre" where Cover eXclaims ::
by you being pardoned we commit no crime
To use one language in each several cline
Where our scenes seem to live"
Pursuing this liberty, Shakespeare next
introduces the curfew in the far-dis
tant island, where Prospero eXclaims:
- and you whose pastime
Is to make the midnight mushrooms
That rejoice to hear the solemn curfew."
Here we have more regard to the time
when the bell was rung, but how i'm
possible it were for the learned Bacon
to shift the curfew from England to
Italy, and thence to the " still vexed
Bermoothes." Pursuing this theory of
impossibility, the reader may be inter-
ested to read some of Bacon's acknowl-
edged writings in order to compare the
style with that of the plays. Here is a
sample: {" 1t is true that little phil
osophy inclineth man to atheism, but
depth in philosophy bringeth mems
minds back to religion, for while the
mind of man looketh on second causes
scattered, it may sometimes rest in
them, and 90 no farther; but when it
beholdeth the chain of them confeder-
ate and linked together, it must needs
fly to providence and deity" Reader,
think of the author of the above cum
brous and unwieldy sentence being also
the author of if 'twere done when tits
done, then 'twere well 'twere done
quickly" Again, there are utterances
in Shakespeare which condemn Bacon's
crime, and can hardly believe that a
Judge who sold the decisions of the
bench could ever have written such a
bitter thing against himself as the
words of Lear:
See how yon justice rails upon yon simple thief.
Change places, handy dandy, which is the justice
and which is the thief?
Through tattered clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furred gowns hide all Plate sin with gold
And the strong lance of justice hurtess breaks;
Arm 1t in rags, pgmy's straw doth pierce It,
Robes and furred gowns were worn by
the judiciary, of whom Bacon was
chief. Does it seem possible that with
his pocket full of brides he could have
ever indirectly thus referred to his own
crime? But the cypher, the CIPHER,
yes, the CYPHER-this seems to be
Ignatius Donnelly's all-convincing ar
gument. Well, it is certainly good for
one purpose--an encouragement to
credulity York Letter IN Troy
Times.